AVERY CLAIRE HAMPTON (Mount Juliet, Tennessee) and her Gran, SHERRY BOND HAMPTON (Caddo, Alabama), have always been close, and they share a strong love for animals. Gran currently has three cats—all of whom were strays that just happened to show up when Avery and her brother, Cade, were visiting. Both Gran and Avery are nononsense gals who don’t spend a lot of time on hair or makeup—though they do like the occasional nail-painting session. Just like these women, these no-bake cookies are no fuss and a hit at every family function. In fact, they’re now such a tradition, the family doesn’t even have to ask Gran to bring them anymore; it’s just expected. “If Gran were to show up without them, we’d know she was out of peanut butter,” says Avery.
3 tablespoons cocoa
½ cup whole milk
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
⅓ teaspoon salt
½ cup peanut butter
3 cups rolled oats
1 In a saucepan combine the cocoa, milk, butter, vanilla, sugar, and salt and bring to a low boil over medium heat, stirring continuously. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
2 Add the peanut butter and oats and mix well. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper. Allow to cool completely and harden before eating. Store tightly covered at room temperature.
MAKES 2 DOZEN COOKIES.